This first edition of Walter Benjamin Summer School in Portbou is directed by Sigrid Weigel the well known expert, from Zentrum für Literatur und Kulturforschung Berlin, with the collaboration of Chantal Benjamin, grand-daughter of Walter Benjamin, social worker and training in Human Rights (Alice Salomon Hochschule Berlin), Gerard Vilar (UAB), Enric Puig Punyet (UOC and writer at La maleta de Portbou), Natalia Cantó (UOC), Swen Seebach (UAB), Pilar Parcerisas (Assoc. Passatges) and with students from École des Beaux Arts (Bordeaux), the Weissensee Kunsthochschule (Berlin), Escola Llotja d’Arts i Disseny (Barcelona) and residents from Casa de Velázquez (Madrid), all of them participants in the exhibition The briefcases of Walter Benjamin, at the International Portbou Railway Station.

The Summer School shall be one cornerstone of the ongoing engagements to built and es-tablish a Walter Benjamin House in Portbou, the village where Walter Benjamin life ended abruptly after crossing the Pyrenees at the border between France and Catalonia. During the Second World War the Mediterranean coast turned into the light of hope providing a gateway to exile and a future life for innumerable persecuted persons during Nazi-time. This place is nowadays again the scenario where many refugees dream to have an opportunity to contin-ue their life, although the sea is the first barrier that decides their fate. However, European countries overwhelmed by a socioeconomic and political crisis become the second barrier. It is in this context that Walter Benjamin’s thoughts could help us to understand and empathize with this problematic, as well as bring some light to the challenges that this situation poses to our European society.

This event brings an international, interdisciplinary and cosmopolitan perspective to study Walter Benjamin philosophy in an exceptional environment. Portbou, a little village in the fron-tier with France, in the Costa Brava, where Walter Benjamin decided to die as an anonymous person, where today the Passages Memorial by Dani Karavan honours this philosopher, as well as all those anonymous fugitives who go into exile in search of freedom.

76th Anniversary of the Walter Benjamin’s death (Berlín, 1892-Portbou,1940)

psychologist, expert on Kafka and Walter Benjamin.

20’30h

Presentation of the local and natural wine Le Rayon Vert by AH AH AH editions with Baptiste Houssin. Place: Cafè-restaurant Les 9 caves, Banyuls-sur-mer.

Saturday, 24th September. Centre Cívic Ca l’Herrero

10’00h

Panel about the concept of Art in Benjamin thinking and Benjamin critical acclaim. (English language):

Gerard Vilar (UAB), Walter Benjamin on Visual Literacy and Literarization of all the Conditions of life.

Enric Puig Punyet (UOC), Collaborator at La maleta de Portbou, The Quest for Philosophy in Historical Times.

Natàlia Cantó (UOC), Working from the margins. “The Stranger” in the Academia.

Swen Seebach (UAB), Loos the aura, freedom from the past, a reflection on th

Thursday, 22th September. Centre Cívic Ca l’ Herrero

9’30h.

Opening Remarks by Chantal Benjamin and Sigrid Weigel. (English language)

10’00h

Reading and discussion of “The concept of History”.(Source: Reader providing a bi-lingual version of the text).Session directed by Sigrid Weigel. (English Language)

12’00h

Explanation by the participants in the exhibition The briefcases of Walter Benjamin about their workshop and their approach to Walter Benjamin’s work and concepts.

13’00h

Presentation of a film project about Walter Benjamin by Mateo Ramírez Louit, student from UPF, Barcelona.

16:30h

Panel with the professors from the art schools: Jean

possibilities of politicising art works and media.

Moderator: Pilar Parcerisas.

12’00h

Guided tour to Passages Memorial. Meeting point: Centre Cívic Ca l’Herrero.

17’30h

Performances by students from École des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux (EBABX). On the beach and at the International Portbou Railway Station.

19’00h

Opening of the exhibition The briefcases of Walter Benjamin. Dispositifs of migration at the International Portbou Railway Station with students and authorities.

22’00h

Projection of the film Pasajes de Portbou (2010), directed by Enric Puig Punyet at Centre Cívic Ca l’Herrero.

Sunday, 25th September

08:00h

Route Walter Benjamin and crossing the Pyrenees, guided by Jean-Pierre Bonnel, President of the Association Walter Benjamin “sans frontières”. Point of departure: Town Hall, Banyuls-sur-mer.

12:00h

Centre Cívic Ca l’Herrero Projection of a film-documentwith Dani Karavan, Wim Wenders and Chantal Benjamin during the 75th Anniversary of Walter Benjamin’s death (2015).

Presentation of the project of declaration of the Passages Memorial by Dani Karavan as a National Cultural Good (Bé Cultural d’ Interès Nacional).

13:00h

Wreath laying and officialspeeches at the cemetery of Portbou.

Calens (École des Beaux Arts, Bordeaux); Wim Westerveld, Knut Ebeling, Barbara Junge and Hannes Brunner (Weissensee Kunsthochschule Berlin), Carlos Lozano and Estela Rodríguez (Escola Llotja. Arts i Disseny, Barcelona). Debate with the students.

18’00h

Projection of the film Der Himmel über Berlin by Wim Wenders. Discussion about the film

Friday, 23th September. Centre Cívic Ca l’ Herrero

10’00h

Reading and discussion of fragments from Passagen book. Session directed by Sigrid Weigel. (English Language)

12’30h

Projection of Chaja & Mimi (10’) by Eric Esser, from Berlin, winner of the Film Festival of Cinema of the Border 2014. This is a fil about friendship, homeland and identity.

Afternoon and Evening

Banyuls-sur-mer. Salle Novelty, 5, rue du 14 juillet.

Lectures and activities organised by the Association Walter Benjamin “sans frontières”. (French language)

17’30h

Presentation of the application Chess-border by Franck Ancel.

Title and subject: Chess-border (*) modulation de l’espace et fréquence temporelle.

(*) https://www.studiobruyant.com/fr/portfolio/chess-border/

18’30h

Jean-Louis Bailleret, historian from Nièvre (Borgogne). About the concentration champ of Vernuche, close to Nevers where was imprisoned Walter Benjamin (diaporama).

19’30h

Maria Mailat, Les passages/messages de Walter Benjamin. Novelist,

Director of the Seminar: Sigrid Weigel (Zentrum für Literatur und Kulturforschung Berlin), with the collaboration of Pilar Parcerisas.Subject: The concept of History, Passages book, Art and Human Rights.Place: Centre Cívic Ca l’Herrero, c/ Méndez Núñez, 2. Portbou.

SUMMER SCHOOL WALTER BENJAMINPORTBOU 2016 / 22–25 SEPTEMBER

THE CONCEPT OF HISTORY, PASSAGES BOOK, ART AND HUMAN RIGHTSPROGRAMME

COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS 76th ANNIVERSARY OF THE WALTER BENJAMIN’S DEATH